Magazine carrier chain



June 1934- w. .P. SHOMAKER 1,961,645

MAGAZ INE CARRIER CHAIN Filed Aug. 26, 1931 Patented June 5, 1934 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 26, 1931, Serial No. 559,581

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to chain construction, particularlyadapted for the support and carrying of a series of magazines, such asmay carry stacks of envelopes, sheets, or the like, and this applicationis a continuation in part of application Serial No. 557,165 filed August14, 1931.

An object of the present invention is to provide a magazine carrierchain wherein certain of the links of the chain are constructed forattachment to' the individual'magazines so as to not only support thesame but hold'the magazines in proper spaced relation along the chain.

Another object of the present invention is to provide pivot pins andimproved means for holding' the same through the interfitting oradjacent ends of the chain links and which admits of the quick and easyremoval of the pins and the consequent quick and easy removal orinterpositioning of magazines to obtain the desired number of themaginzes in the endless structure.

The invention also aims at the provision of pivot pinsrmounted in thechain at desired points to serve as strikers for-tripping variousmechanisms which may be used in envelope handling machines, such asdisclosed in the application referred to, and to provide these strikersor tripping pins with detachable striker-fingers so that the fingers maybe' optionally mounted on the striker-pins according to the desiredoperation of the machine with respect to certain of the magazines.

The invention further aims at the provision of an improved constructionof detachable striker-finger which may be quickly and easily snappedinto position upon the desired end of the pin; and quickly removedtherefrom.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended'hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan View of a section of a magazinecarrier chain constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is an'inner side elevation of the same, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 33 ofFigure 2 through one of the detachable striker-fingers mounted on anadjacent striker-pin.

Referring now to the drawing, the improved chain is adapted to carry aplurality of magazines 10 which-arearranged in a row, and spaced apartand are adapted to be mounted in an endless structure so that themagazines 10 may be brought to a desired point consecutively and by thedesired operation of the chain.

The chain comprises a plurality of attaching links 11 and a plurality ofintermediate connected links 12. Each attaching link 11 comprises a flatplate of elongated contour and which is suitably apertured near itsopposite ends, and which at one side is apertured with an integrallaterally turned flange 13 providing a plate or bracket adapted to besecured by rivets 14, or the like, to the inner end of an adjacentmagazine 10. The attaching links 11, as shown in Figure 2, are disposedin pairs, and the links of each pair have their flanges 13 extendingoutwardly in opposite directions so as to engage and be secured to theadjacent magazine 10 at spaced points vertically of the latter.

For connecting together the adjacent attaching links 11, the connectinglinks 12 are employed, and the links 12 are also disposed in pairs, areof suitably elongated construction and are apertured near their oppositeends. The apertured opposite end portions of the connecting links 12 arein overlapping relation against the inner opposite sides or" theattaching links 11 with the apetures in register for receivingtherethrough the pivot pins 15 and the striker-pins 16 which hingedlyconnect the links 11 and 12 together and provide an endless structure.The pivot pins 15 are relatively short and the striker-pins 16 areprovided with elongated opposite ends terminating in beveled heads 17defined by annular grooves 18 which are provided in the striker-pins 16at the inner sides of the heads. The pins 16 and 17 may be disposed inany desired number and relation in the chain structure, and in Figures 1and 2 it will be noted that the pins 15 and 16 are alternately disposedthroughout the length of the chain.

For the purpose of holding the connecting links 12 in suitably spacedapart relation and at the inner sides of the attaching links 11, spacingsleeves 19 are mounted upon the intermediate portions of the pins 15 and16 and engage at op posite ends against the inner opposite sides of theconnecting links 12.

The means employed for removably holding the pins 15 and 16 through thelinks 11 and 12, and for admitting the quick and easy removal andreplacement of the pins, comprises a retaining pin 20 for each attachinglink 11, each retaining pin being substantially of U-shape with anelongated or bridge portion so as to dispose the substantially parallelends of the pin 20 in register with through openings formed in the pins15 and 16. The openings in each pin are spaced apart therein a distanceslightly greater than that between ti e pairs of attaching links 11 sothat when the retaining pin 20 is fitted in the openings adjacent one ofthe attaching links 11, the openings in the opposite end portions of thepins 15 and 16 are in proper register with the opposite link 11 and thesecond retaining pin 20 may then be inserted so as to dispose theretaining pins 20 at the opposite sides of the opposite attaching links11. This holds the pins 15 and 16 from longitudinal displacement fromthe links 11 and 12, and the two adjacent pins 15 and 16 are thus heldby a single retaining pin 20 at opposite sides of the chain. To preventthe retaining pin 20 fro a accidentally moving out of the openings inthe pins 15 and 16, a spring clip 21 is provided for each retaining pin20. Each clip 21 is composed of an elongated spring metal body portionwith inwardly curved opposite ends adapted to engage about the outersides of the pins 15 and 16 and with the body portion of the spring cliplying against the bridge or connecting portion of the retaining pin 20as shown in Figure 1. Thus, the spring clip 21 releasably holds the pin20 in engagement with the adjacent pivot pins 15 and 16.

The striker-pins 16 are adapted to selectively and removably ca rystriker-fingers 22. Each striker-finger 22 comprises an elongated bodyportion preferably cylindrical in contour and which at one end isprovided with a socket 23 adapted to receive the head 17 and the outeradjacent portion of the striker-pin 16, as shown in Figure 2. Eachstriker-finger 22 is also provided, in one side of the socket 23, withan inwardly flaring opening 24 in which is seated a retaining ball 25,or the like, adapted to project into the socket 23 and proportioned toengage in the annular groove 18 at the inner side of the head 17. Aspring band 26 is fitted about the socketed end of the striker-finger 22and, as shown in Figure 3, has one end engaging over the ball 25 foryieldingly urging the latter inwardly while the other portion or" thespring band 26 engages about the striker-fingers 22 to an extentsufficient to retain the band on the striker-finger. Any suitable meansmay be provided for holding the spring band 26 on the striker-finger,although the tension of the band is deemed sufiicient for the purpose.The striker fingers 22 may thus be drawn from the ends of thestriker-pins 16, and readily snapped on the ends thereof according tothe adjustment desired so as to dispose a striker-finger 2O opposite aselected magazine and at either the upper or lower side of the endlesschain. Thus, each chain so constructed may be used to actuate at leasttwo different trip devices in connection with the envelope machine shownin the application referred to.

In use, it is readily apparent that when it is desired to remove amagazine 10 from the endless structure, it is only necessary to snap thespring clip 21 out of engagement with the adjacent pins 15 and 16 at oneside of the chain, and to then withdraw the adjacent retaining pin 20from engagement with the pins 15 and 16. The

ivot pins 15 and 16 may now he moved lengthwise thr ugh the openings inthe adjacent links 11 and 12 so that the pair of links 11 with thecorresponding magazine 10 may be removed from the chain structure and apair of the links 12 removed therewith. This admits of the connectingtogether of the adjacent remaining magazines by the insertion of anadjacent pin 15 or 16 when the remaining ends of the links 11 and 12 areoverlapped and brought into register. This operation may be quicklyperformed because the use of cotter pins and other fastening devicesusually employed in connection with the pivot pins are unnecessary andthe single retaining pin 20 is used for both of the adjacent pins 15 and16.

It is apparent that the striker-fingers 22 may be quickly and. easilysnapped upon either or both ends of the striker-pins l6 opposite thedesired magazine or magazines and to thus effect the tripping of themechanism of the machine when certain magazines are brought to a desiredpoint for the desired treatment of the envelopes or sheets, which arecarried thereby.

Of course, the chain structure shown in the present drawing may beduplicated so as to provide two or more series of attaching and connecting links should the magazines be of such height as to require supportat different points through out the height.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A magazine carrier chain, comprising pairs 'of spaced apart attachinglinks having outturned flanges for attachment to magazines, connectinglinks extending across the inner sides of the attaching links, spacersarranged between the connecting links to hold the same against the inneropposite faces of the attaching links, pins extending through theregistering portions of the attaching and connecting links and throughthe spacers and having openings therethrough near their opposite ends,retaining pins having angunate pairs of attaching and connecting links,pivot pins engaging through the adjacent portions of said links forpivotally connecting the same together, said attaching links adapted forengagement ith magazines, certain of the pivot pins having elongatedends with annular grooves therein and heads beyond the grooves, andstriker-fmgers detachahly and selectively mounted upon said elongatedends of the pivot pins and having each a socket therein for thereception of the head and groove of the pivot pin, and spring meanscarried upon each striker-finger in register with the socket therein foryielding engagement in the annular groove of the pin when thestriker-finger is snapped over the head thereof.

3. A magazine carrier chain, comprising alternately disposed attachingand connecting links, pivot pins connecting said links together, certainof said pivot pins having elongated grooves and headed ends,strikes-fingers removably positioned upon the elongated ends of thepivot pins,

each striker-finger having a socket therein for the reception of thegrooved and headed end of the pin, a ball carried in the side of thestrikerfinger for engagement in the groove of the pin, and a spring bandcarried about the strikerfinger with one end against said ball foryieldingly urging the latter into the groove of the pin.

4. A magazine carrier chain, comprising a pair of attaching linksdisposed in spaced relation and with the out-turned flanges forattachment to the inner ends of magazines, pairs of connecting linksarranged in overlapping relation between adjacent attaching links, ashort pivot pin engaging through the overlapping portions of one end ofpair of attaching and the adjacent end of the pair of connecting links,and a long pivot pin engaging through the overlapping portions of theother end of the pair of attaching and its adjacent end of the pair ofconnecting links and detachable trip fingers selectively engaged withthe long pivot pins.

5. A magazine carrier chain, comprising spaced attaching links adaptedto be secured to a plurality of magazines, intermediate connecting linksarranged between the attaching links and overlapping the ends of thesame, short and long pivot pins engaging the overlapping ends of theattaching and connecting links, striker-fingers selectively engaged overthe long pivot pins, and means for detachably holding thestriker-fingers on the pins.

6. A chain having links overlapping at their ends and having registeringopenings in said overlapping ends, pins extending through theregistering opening to pivotally connect the links together and havingopenings therethrough near their opposite ends, a rod having angularlybent ends engaged at said ends through the openings of the adjacent pinsfor holding the latter through the links, and a spring clip extendingover the rod and having rolled. ends for snapping engagement about thepivot pins to retain the rod interlocked therewith.

'7. A chain having links overlapping and apertured at their ends, longand short pins selectively engageable through the apertures of the linkends for pivotally connecting the links together, removable holdingdevices engaging the adjacent pins to retain thesame in said apertures,spring clips connecting the devices to the pins and securing the devicesfrom accidental removal, and removable trip fingers selectivelyengageable with the long pins.

WESLEY P. SHOMAKER.

